Northgate Resorts CEO Zachary Bossenbroek has very high expectations of the managers who run the company’s growing network of campgrounds and RV resorts.
“Our goal,” he said, “is that each year all of our campers have an even better experience at our parks than they had the previous year.”
And judging from the number of awards Grandville, Mich.-based Northgate Resorts recently received from Leisure Systems Inc. (LSI), the Milford, Ohio-based company that franchises Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts, Bossenbroek is achieving his objectives.
In an announcement from LSI and Northgate, Director of Operation Chris TerVeen attributes much of Northgate’s success to its staff. “We have a great team. They are passionate about what they do and work hard every day to give our guests the best experience possible,” TerVeen said. “It’s great to see them getting the recognition they deserve.”
Indeed, three out of the six Jellystone Parks that Northgate Resorts owns received top awards from Leisure Systems during LSI’s annual Symposium. These include:
The Park of the Year Award: This award was presented to South Lancaster/Quarryville Jellystone Park in Quarryville, Pa., whose facilities and operators exceeded Jellystone Park standards at a rate of 95% or higher during LSI’s annual inspection of park facilities and operations. To win the Park of the Year Award, recipients also must have achieved strong business growth, implemented sustained improvements and be seen as a leader in the campground industry.
The Quarryville campground is tough to beat in terms of amenities. In addition to having a 40,000-square-foot interactive water zone with swimming pools and hot tubs, water slides, water cannons and squirt guns, an 18-hole miniature golf course, a pedal kart track and a gem mining sluice, the campground recently added four full-size hot tubs in 2014.
“They are full-size, eight-person hot tubs,” said Paul Craft, Northgate’s general manager in Quarryville. “They are a great amenity. Parents not only use them for themselves, but they use them to help wind down their kids in the evenings.”
The Quarryville Jellystone also added more rental accommodations, including lodge-style units that contain all the comforts of home. The rental units are so luxurious that the park earned a national award from LSI for having the best rental accommodations.
The campground even has radiant floor heating its bathrooms. “It’s those little things that make a difference,” Craft said.
Operator of the Year: This award was presented to Connor Lawrence, who manages the 220-site Jellystone Park Camp-Resort in Gardiner, N.Y., for scoring the highest year-over-year gains in occupancy and revenue of any park of its size in the 82-unit Jellystone Park network.
“We doubled our revenue in a year,” said Lawrence, who manages the park on behalf of Northgate Resorts, which purchased the campground from Lawrence’s family in late 2014.
But thanks to sizable investments by Northgate Resorts, the campground also has scores of new amenities, including a 40,000-square-foot water zone with two 100-foot water slides, a water cannon and spray features; a laser tag arena; and a jumping pillow.
The park also has 30 new rental cabins as well as new premium riverfront campsites, with private frontage along the Wallkill River, complete with water, sewer, electricity and cable television hookups.
Facility of the Year: This award was presented to the Jellystone Park Camp-Resort in Canyon Lake, Texas, in recognition of its efforts to consistently improve the park, which Northgate Resorts acquired two years ago. New amenities include an interactive water playground; a jumping pillow with shade sails; a new playground for children; 18 new cabin rentals; a gem mining sluice; a bark park; and a new entrance sign. The 20-acre Canyon Lake park currently has 81 RV sites, 34 tent sites and 52 lodging units.
Best Marketing Brochure: This award was presented to Northgate Resorts for developing an attractive brochure that effectively markets all five Northgate Jellystone Parks in Quarryville; Gardiner; Canyon Lake; Hagerstown, Md., and Luray, Va. The brochure was developed by Megan TerVeen, Northgate’s director of marketing in collaboration with local marketing firm Bultema Group.
